statistics

Statistics Project # 1

Purpose: To demonstrate your knowledge of descriptive statistics, including data collecting, organizing and summarizing data and interpreting data. And to further understand the differences between quantitative and qualitative data.

We will be doing observational studies: Observational studies measure the characteristics of a population by studying individuals in a sample, but do not try to manipulate or influence the variables.

This can be a partner project including up to two in a group. You may work alone if you prefer.

For Part 3, each person will need to turn in his or her own paper. Charts and graphs may be the same, but the introduction and summary need to be in your own words.

Part 1 (due by Tuesday, January 27)

· Identify your group or if you will be working by yourself.

· Choose two topics that interest you that you would like to investigate. One topic should involve a qualitative variable and the other a quantitative variable.

· State your research objectives and identify the research variable for each objective. For ex: heights of actors, wind speed on Mt. Shasta, number of passengers on an airline, proportion of cars that are white, proportion of professional baseball players who are left-handed, etc.

Part 2 (due by Tuesday, February 3)

Quantitative Variable:

· State your research objective. Identity the variable and the population of interest. Be as specific as you can.

· Collect and list raw data from at least 60 individuals. You may identify the individuals, but it is not necessary. You may collect data from existing sources (internet, reference books, etc.) or by survey sampling (actually going out and collecting data).

· Explicitly state whether you have data from a sample or a population.

· Identify the sample size or population size, using correct notation.

Qualitative Variable:

· State your research objective. Identity the variable and the population of interest. Be as specific as you can.

· Collect and list raw data from at least 60 individuals. You may identify the individuals, but it is not necessary. You may collect data from existing sources (internet, reference books, etc.) or by survey sampling (actually going out and collecting data). Identify this as a sample or a population.

· Explicitly state whether you have data from a sample or a population.

· Identify the sample size or population size, using correct notation.

Part 3 (due by Thursday, February 12) Completed Project

See “Project 1 - Final Assessment”

NOTE:

· You may turn in work early.

· Late papers will be docked.

· Each person needs to turn in a paper for Part 3. Partners may turn in one paper for parts 1 and 2.

· Check on Moodle for a sample of what I want.

· All work must be non-offensive to the general public and within University guidelines of expected behavior.

Project 1 Final Assessment

The completed project should include all of the parts written up neatly. Typewritten is preferred, but neat handwriting is acceptable.

The completed project will be graded on the following:

Neatness - 5 points

Introduction – 7 points

· State the research objectives (2 pts)

· Identify the research variables (2 pts)

· Identify the populations (2 pts)

· Identify the group members (1 pt)

Quantitative Variable: (42 pts)

The data – 15 points

· Give a brief (two or three sentences) statement about how you collected your data and whether you surveyed a sample or a population (2 pts).

· List your raw data on a separate sheet of paper (2 pts). OPTION: identify the individuals.

· Identify the sample (population) size using proper notation (1 pt)

· Construct the (relative) frequency distribution on a separate sheet of paper (5 pts)

· columns headed correctly, data correctly identified, frequencies correctly identified, appropriate grouping

· Construct the (relative) frequency histogram on a separate sheet of paper (4 pts).

· axes correctly labeled, grouping matches chart, scales provided, rectangles correct

· Explain why you chose to group your data into intervals or not in your distribution table (1 pt).

Descriptive Statistics of the data – 27 points

· Give the values of the mean and standard deviation (2 pts). Use proper notation (2 pts).

· Identify and label the locations of the mean and one standard deviation (SD) above and below the mean on the histogram from part 2 (2 pts).

· Identify the five-number summary. Identify each part. (2 pts).

· Calculate the fences. Show work. (2 pts)

· Draw a boxplot and label all key points (5# Summary, whisker ends). Identify any outliers and the locations of the fences. (5 pts).

· Give a brief (two or three sentences) statement identifying the shape of the distribution and how you identified the shape of the distribution. (5 pts).

· Complete the table below (4 pts)

· Based on the table below, does the Empirical Rule seem to apply? Use your results above to explain why the Empirical Rule should or should not apply to your data set. (3 pts)

	Interval (Mean)	Frequency of your data within the interval	% of your data within the interval	theoretical distribution within the interval based on Empirical Rule
mean + one SD
mean + two SD
mean + three SD

Qualitative Variable: (16 pts)

The data – 16 points

· Give a brief (two or three sentences) statement about how you collected your data and whether you surveyed a sample or a population (2 pts).

· List your raw data on a separate sheet of paper (2 pts). OPTION: identify the individuals.

· Identify the sample (population) size using proper notation (1 pt)

· Construct the frequency distribution and the relative frequency distribution on a separate sheet of paper and identify the Mode (7 pts)

· columns headed correctly, data correctly identified, frequencies correctly identified, relative frequencies correctly identified

· Explain why shape of the distribution is meaningless for this distribution. (3 pts)

· Explain if your variable is binomial or not (1 pt)